Structured input and textual enhancement: Impacts on L2 production in French

Abstract

Textual enhancement and structured input are two focus-on-form techniques that are prevalent in the literature on classroom-based second language acquisition and instruction. Research on the impact of textual enhancement (TE) has yielded mixed results.Although some researchers have found an effect for enhancement, others have failed to find any. In contrast, numerous studies comparing instruction containing structured input (SI) with other treatments have consistently shown equal or more beneficial effects for SI.The study described in this chapter examined whether the beneficial effects of structured input are heightened if features of TE are included in the treatment. In particular, it examined the comparative effects of SI and TESI on L2 production of the French imparfait. In this study, a sentence-level production task was implemented to assess performance before, immediately following, and 10 days after treatment. Potential implications for language program directors are also addressed.